MAP– Here’s a link to the 2013 OC Brew Ha Ha map of the event. It’s a PDF that you can print out ahead of time so you’ll know where your favorite breweries and food vendors are located and make sure that you don’t miss anybody. Plan a meetup spot with your group when you get there since cell reception is spotty at best.

Stay hydrated, keep cool – There will be FREE soda and water at the event, be sure to take advantage of it. The weather forecast says that it’ll be in the high 80’s to mid 90’s (same as last year) so drink plenty of water. We generally try to drink a bottle of water after every three tastes. It’s near Irvine Lake and there are plenty of trees providing shade, but hot is hot. Last year, the misters were a favorite way to cool down.

Take your time – Ten 4 oz. tastes in three hours (or 15 tastes in 4 hours if you scored VIP tickets) allows you to take your time in between beers. Use that time to walk around the venue, listen to some music, chat with brewers, play games, eat some food, and plan your next beer while enjoying the one in your hand. No need to burn through all your tastes in the first hour. And there’s no need to push and shove while in line. (Don’t be “that” guy.)

Eat some food – Last year one of the guys in our group decided not to eat. He said, “It’s over at 4, I’ll just eat after.” Let’s just say that he had the window seat on the drive home and had to wash the designated driver’s car the next day. There are going to be plenty of great food trucks again this year;The Viking Truck, Sausage King, Burnt Truck, Dos Chinos, Rancho A Go Go, and more. Last year the Slater’s 50/50 burger was a highlight for me. The line was a bit long, but it allowed me to drink two much-needed bottles of water while waiting. I also had a slice of pizza from the fire truck that hit the spot. And for dessert don’t forget to checkout BrewCakes, CJ and Sarah are very friendly and make delicious craft beer cupcakes.

Reel Big Fish – Every year the Brew Ha Ha stage has great music, and this year they stepped it up a notch and booked Reel Big Fish. In my opinion Ska music is perfect beer drinking music, and Reel Big Fish are a fantastic live band. They bring so much energy on stage that it’s hard to resist skanking along.

Beer Geek Island – It’s a little late to be mentioning it now, because it’s already sold out. So my “tip” is to join the OC Beer Society Facebook group so you’ll be able to take part next time.One of the best bottle share events in the OC is perhaps Beer Geek Island sponsored by the OC Beer Society. The spots on the “island” fill up pretty fast every year. This year was no exception. There is no cost other than the bottle you choose to bring. By donating a bottle to the island you get to taste some amazing beers provided by other beer geeks like yourself.I usually try to bring a bottle of something with some age on it, so two years ago I brought a 2006 Anchor Christmas and last year I brought a Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Black IPA to share. This year I’m bringing a bottle of Founder’s Doom that I got in a beer trade, so it’s something not distributed in California. It’s an Imperial India Pale Ale aged in bourbon barrels. I’m looking forward to trying it out while sharing it with others who also appreciate interesting craft brews.

Drive Safely – We always bring a designated driver to beer events like this one. If you find that you over-indulged at the event and didn’t bring a driver with you, then please take advantage of Uber or the Yellow Cabs at the event. You can leave your car overnight if necessary and pick it up the next day. Stay safe.

If you haven’t already got tickets for Saturday, head on over to OCBrewHaHa.com or you can pick them up at the door (for $10 more) if it isn’t sold out.

Beer Soaked readers should know by now that our favorite Orange County craft beer festival is approaching. That’s right, it’s almost time for the annualOC Brew Ha Haon Saturday, September 7th, 2013.

Did you know that they are brewing a special collaboration beer for the event? We were invited to brew day for the OC Brew Ha Ha ‘HOP MONSTER’, and here’s the story…

Three local Orange County brewmasters; Aaron Barkenhagen of Bootleggers Brewery, Evan Weinberg of Cismontane Brewing Company, and Jerrod Larsen of Tustin Brewing Company, all came together to brew a commemorative beer for the OC BrewHaHa festival. They sat down over some beers and after taking a look at the graphic novel themed artwork for the 2013 BrewHaHa they decided on a massively “hopped up” Red Ale that would consist of Citra, Nelson, and Galaxy hops. “It was a no brainer. It had to be a hoppy red. I mean, just look at the artwork.” – Aaron Continue reading →

Tis the season…

The winter beer season is upon us and that means it’s time to celebrate with spiced ales, high gravity stouts, and barrel aged brews of all denominations. Lucky for us there’s one place for all that stuff. Where? At the OC Brew Ho Ho. Is your Christmas shopping list filled with requests for beer related stuff: hats, t-shirts, bottle openers, glassware, coasters, etc. There’s a place to get that stuff too, the OC Brew Ho Ho. Perhaps you were there? If so, then you can skip below to the photos.

The OC Brew Ho Ho! Holiday Ale Festival was a sold out event with 1,500 fans of craft beer in attendance at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim, CA. It featured some of the best craft beer available in Southern California with the greatest collection of holiday ales ever assembled under one roof. The food was incredible with gourmet offerings from multiple food trucks and local food vendors like Slaters 50/50, and after feasting on lunch there were amazing desserts from Brewcakes and Drunken Udder. And the best part was all the great brewery themed holiday gifts available at the beer booths. I wish everybody shopping for me this Christmas was in attendance. I’d be set for life.

For entertainment they had a DJ playing a wide variety of music including holiday tunes. There was also a Super Jenga, Baggo bean bag toss, a shooting range, and photos with Santa Claus ensuring that there was never a dull moment! Continue reading →

OC Brew Ha Ha is the Orange County craft beer event that we look forward to every year. In our experience the organizers just know how to do it right. Here’s a quick beer soaked recap with a bunch of photos from the event which took place on Saturday, September 8th, 2012. Continue reading →

So I’m the new guy to the Beer Soaked family. I did attend the 2011 BrewHaHa but have been lagging big time on writing a blog. What can you expect from a physical therapist!

My favorites from the BrewHaHa:

Noble Ale Works (Located in Anaheim by the Big A) – Alpha Red: a bold hearty red that has just the right amount of punch

The Bruery (Located in Placentia) – Autumn Maple: a bold beer made with Yams, and a plentiful amount of spices it tastes like Thanksgiving.

and 2 beers from the Ommegang (Cooperstown) label – Adoration and the BPA: the BPA is a hoppy like an IPA but still aims toward a farm-house beligian, very tasty. The Adoration is a limited edition Belgian-style dark beer that will comes in at 10% and should be available in mid-October

A few other beers were sampled but it were lost in the shuffle. Although I was able to fill my growler after work with a something might tasty (It’s nice working 2 minutes from the Bruery), the Humulus Wet from The Bruery. It was quite hoppy, yet as they say not an IPA. Read more about this unique beer on The Bruery’s blog. Until next time,